Amber Krzys told the crowd in the Russell House Ballroom Wednesday night that she believes the act of loving your body starts with establishing a healthy internal relationship.
As the founder of “Body Peace,” Krzys has the unique opportunity of working with people to help them love who they are, she said.
“I want you to get as much as you can out of this experience,” Krzys said. “I’m going to share what has worked for me in my life, and it is up to you to process it.”
Audience members were encouraged to be themselves as Krzys shared her story of gaining peace with her body. She said that in any given moment, every person has a choice they can make: to choose self-harm or self-honoring.
“My intentions are to support you in self-honoring choices,” Krzys said.
At age 10, Krzys knew that she wanted to be on Broadway, and before that, she loved to dance. She had the opportunity to perform in Mamma Mia, but something was missing from what was perceived by others to be a success story.
“I didn’t feel successful. I felt miserable because I was obsessed with perfection,” Krzys said.
Her obsession with being perfect began in that moment, as she criticized her body and began searching for ways to change it, she said.
“I believed in the idea that my body needed to be different,” Krzys said. “We start to fight for the unattainable.”
Krzys deemed her fight a “vicious cycle” and said it was an example of the ways people begin to turn away from themselves.
“We start to reject our body and say, ‘You need to do something about that,’” she said. “Our body ultimately becomes the enemy.”
Realizing that the lifestyle she had chosen — allowing numbers on a scale to dictate her life — Krzys began to let go and allowed herself to take a step in another direction.
“The one thing I never thought possible was to love the body that I was given,” Krzys said. “Even if you don’t think something is possible, as long as you’re willing to try, magic can happen.”
Her journey, she said, was full of exploration, trial and error and tears, and she invited the audience to try that path as well.
“When love is at your core, you feel worthy,” Krzys said. “We’re shining a light on the darkest places when we face our fears.”
Through music, her personal story and laughter, Krzys aimed to inspire the audience through her words.
“In this room tonight, you’re allowed to be seen,” Krzys said. “You’re allowed to be not perfect — including me.”